So, in my homebrew game it began with a series of goblin attacks. Various NPCs have employed the group to investigate what they feel is the cause. Problem is these NPCs do not know the real cause and are blinded by their own concerns. I am about 1 session away from them getting the trail of the true cause. But because the NPCs are working under false assumptions and the evidence is pointing to the fact that they are wrong, my PCs are getting paranoid and now think they are being setup to take a fall. How can I re-establish trust in the NPCs and alleviate their paranoia?
In this case, it could be as simple as having the NPCs realize that they've been operating under false assumptions (i.e. if the players present them with the idea that maybe they are wrong about what's behind things, or if there is evidence that the NPC could become aware of that suggests their initial thought to be wrong), and adjust to that information - by which I mean they do anything but keep insisting their incorrect information is correct.
Is there a particular reason why you NEED to re-establish trust in these NPCs? There is a school of DM thought that would argue that you should play up to the PC's paranoia, and re-write the campaign a little so that the players suspicions would be at least partially right. Maybe THEY aren't the ones being setup, but maybe it's a political manuver to make the mayor look weak. Maybe they ARE being set up, but not by the NPCs. Instead, maybe they've been setup by somebody whom they miraculously still trust! ... or maybe they are being setup, but the frame job has already been completed in their absence, and now they need to either flee the power-structure of your world, or else prove their innocence. Not telling you what to do here, just a little bit of mental gymnastics.
In regards to the actual question, I imagine that this problem is likely to solve itself, no? The players go, smack the Goblin king, find a trove of documents proving that they were hired by the king of Siam to harass the villiage (or whatever) and violla. That's the story. Trust, such as it is, will be restored.
So, in my homebrew game it began with a series of goblin attacks. Various NPCs have employed the group to investigate what they feel is the cause. Problem is these NPCs do not know the real cause and are blinded by their own concerns. I am about 1 session away from them getting the trail of the true cause. But because the NPCs are working under false assumptions and the evidence is pointing to the fact that they are wrong, my PCs are getting paranoid and now think they are being setup to take a fall. How can I re-establish trust in the NPCs and alleviate their paranoia?
In this case, it could be as simple as having the NPCs realize that they've been operating under false assumptions (i.e. if the players present them with the idea that maybe they are wrong about what's behind things, or if there is evidence that the NPC could become aware of that suggests their initial thought to be wrong), and adjust to that information - by which I mean they do anything but keep insisting their incorrect information is correct.
Is there a particular reason why you NEED to re-establish trust in these NPCs? There is a school of DM thought that would argue that you should play up to the PC's paranoia, and re-write the campaign a little so that the players suspicions would be at least partially right. Maybe THEY aren't the ones being setup, but maybe it's a political manuver to make the mayor look weak. Maybe they ARE being set up, but not by the NPCs. Instead, maybe they've been setup by somebody whom they miraculously still trust! ... or maybe they are being setup, but the frame job has already been completed in their absence, and now they need to either flee the power-structure of your world, or else prove their innocence. Not telling you what to do here, just a little bit of mental gymnastics.
In regards to the actual question, I imagine that this problem is likely to solve itself, no? The players go, smack the Goblin king, find a trove of documents proving that they were hired by the king of Siam to harass the villiage (or whatever) and violla. That's the story. Trust, such as it is, will be restored.
I'm in the "Well, maybe they *are* being set up" camp. :)